WS, RD & SHTA – Please Read

WS – New Website:
The new Superior “Spring” Trail Races 25KM and 50KM website is finally a reality – spring.superiortrailraces.com . Many nights of limited sleep and wow, we finally got here! Thanks to all who helped to make the new website a reality – especially our VERY PATIENT programmer / developer without whom this wouldn’t be possible.

RD – New Race Directors:
After several years directing the race, Gretchen and Mike Perbix have decided to step down from their role as race directors. Gretchen and Mike could not have done a better job with the race in their years at the helm – the personal touches that they added each year cannot be duplicated and their years of hard work and service cannot either. We will try to pickup where they left off but realize that is a tall order. Please be patient with us as we get comfortable trying to fill those very large shoes – there will certainly be some minor changes and I am sure there will be a few bumps along the way, but we will get there. Obviously no strangers to hard work, we wish Gretchen, Mike and their entire family nothing but the best of luck on their other labor of love – Sweetland Orchard. Please be sure to visit them online at http://sweetlandorchard.com/ and be sure to like them on Facebook – then, most importantly be sure to visit them in person and buy some apples next fall! Also, feel free to leave your thanks and comments on the Superior Facebook Page for Mike and Gretchen.

WS – Whats New:
Take a look around – as far as the race is concerned, not much has changed and all the information came over from the old website – albeit with maybe a few errors or omissions (if you see something, point it out!) Registration for the 2012 race is open – please keep in mind that the race did fill up last year, so be sure to register early – also, new this year, regardless of weather or not the race fills, registration will close 1 week prior to the race so be sure not to miss out. Also, by registering early, you get the best deal on the entry fee – the fee goes up in February and then again in March – so don’t delay, take advantage of the lower price by signing up now. We are trying to make the site a place that condenses all things SUPERIOR SPRING RACES – we will try to add any race reports from your blogs that you have, if you have one that is not posted now, please feel free to email the link to us. Please take some time to visit our sponsors – we are continually looking to work with sponsors who truly make an investment in us – so you might see some things shifting around a bit with some old ones departing and some new ones coming in. Volunteers – we are always looking for them, so drop us a line.

SHTA – Superior Hiking Trail Association:
A big focus of the new website is going to be giving some exposure and trying to drive some traffic to and get some new members for the Superior Hiking Trail Association. See the promo on the right hand side of the website? Also, there is a prominent SHTA section on the sponsors page. We have always run the Superior Trail Races for enjoyment, personal achievement and to compete – we have also always put these races on to make a contribution to the Superior Hiking Trail and with the unveiling of the new website, we are making our intentions known that now is the time to redouble our efforts and sharpen our focus on doing whatever we can to help to contribute to and improve the Superior Hiking Trail. Please become a member or make a contribution and find some time to volunteer with the SHTA. Also, be sure to let it be known that you are a trail-runner! Even though running on the SHT requires your head to be down a good portion of the time, we love, experience and enjoy the trail as much as anybody out there – lets make a statement as a group / as trail runners, that we are here to do what it takes to sustain and improve the trail for generations to come.

Thanks to everyone who has, does and will make the Superior Trail Race what it is. Please check back frequently for new blog posts and updates to the website. We look forward to seeing you in the Spring.

Registration / Lottery:
Opens Tuesday January 1st, 2019 – 12:01AM CST
Closes Tuesday January 15th, 2019 – 11:59PM CST
* Due to high demand, registration for the Superior “Spring” Trail Race is held via a lottery, more details about the lottery can be found HERE

More About the Area:
The North Shore of Lake Superior runs from Duluth, Minnesota at the Southwestern end of the lake, to Thunder Bay and Nipigon, Ontario, Canada, in the North to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, in the east. The shore is characterized by alternating rocky cliffs and cobblestone beaches, with rolling hills and ridges covered in boreal forest inland from the lake, through which scenic rivers and waterfalls descend as they flow to Lake Superior. The shoreline between the city of Duluth to the international border at Grand Portage as the North Shore. Lake Superior is considered the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area. It is the world’s third-largest freshwater lake by volume and the largest by volume in North America. The Superior Hiking Trail, also known as the SHT, is a 310-mile long distance hiking single-track hiking trail in Northeastern Minnesota that follows the ridgeline overlooking Lake Superior for most of its length. The trail travels through forests of birch, aspen, pine, fir, and cedar. Hikers and runners enjoy views of boreal forests, the Sawtooth Mountains, babbling brooks, rushing waterfalls, and abundant wildlife. The lowest point on the trail is 602 feet above sea level and the highest point is 1,829 feet above sea level.